DUBAI: In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, chefs from all over the world are sharing recipes with online followers who wish to cook from home. Here, French-Lebanese chef Karim Haidar has provided a recipe for the savory fatteh batenjen, a classic of Lebanese cuisine. The chef, who is currently on a mission to feed almost 100 Lebanese students residing in the French capital amid the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown, shared why this recipe is so important to him. “This recipe has a special place in my heart,” he commented. “It was always a success in my restaurants and private dinners. Most of the people I know and love agree on the fact that it is their favorite. It is partially hot and partially cold (good in summer and in winter), easy to prepare and the version (here) is vegetarian.” Recipe for fatteh batenjen (serves 4 people) Why not give this comfort food dish a go for iftar? Ingredients: 4 aubergines 1 onion 2 garlic cloves 1 tomato 1 Lebanese bread 50g of pine nuts 10 leaves of basil 250g of yogurt 50g of tahini 1 tablespoon of grape vinegar Salt, black pepper Frying oil Method: Peel the aubergines, and cut each into three slices, then each slice into six. Peel and thinly chop the onion, the tomato and the garlic. Keep them separate. Deep-fry the pine nuts until golden. Roll each slice of bread and cut it thin, then deep-fry it. Mix the yogurt, tahini, vinegar, salt and pepper. Deep-fry the aubergines and drain from oil. Pan-fry the onion in some oil for 5 minutes, add the garlic and tomato for two minutes. Add salt and pepper, then the roughly chopped basil leaves. Serve in each plate a spoon of yogurt, the aubergine slices, then the pan-fried tomatoes, another spoon of yogurt, bread and pine nuts. Enjoy!